The present invention is related to wheel ends and a method of making a wheel end to be installed on a vehicle for reduced runout of the vehicle.
Wheel ends and brake modules for motor vehicles are known and have been widely used in the automotive industry for many years. A typical wheel end of a vehicle generally includes a hub to which a half shaft or stub shaft attaches for rotation about an axis. A bearing assembly is disposed on the hub and mounts within a body of a steering knuckle to allow the half shaft, for example, to rotate and drive the hub about the axis. A rotor may be attached to the hub for rotational movement about the axis.
Thus, it is one aspect of the present invention to provide an improved method of making a wheel end to be installed on a vehicle for reduced lateral runout.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a method of making a wheel end wherein machining a final cut on a rotor of the wheel end is performed after assembling and preloading the module for installation on a vehicle.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a method of making a wheel end wherein a preload is maintained while machining a final cut on a rotor of the wheel end and up to installation thereof on a vehicle.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a wheel end or brake module having a hub and a rotor attached thereto. The hub includes a flange and a hub shaft having inboard and outboard ends. The flange extends from the hub shaft at the outboard end. The rotor is mounted to the flange for radial movement with the hub. The rotor is machined after assembling and preloading the wheel end.
In one embodiment, a method of the present invention includes assembling the rotor and components with bearing surfaces to define an assembled module which is configured to be installed on the vehicle. The method further includes preloading the bearing surfaces, after the rotor and components are assembled, to define a preloaded condition of the assembled module. When assembled and preloaded, the assembled wheel end remains assembled and preloaded for installment on a vehicle. The method further includes mounting the assembled wheel end on a holding fixture and rotating the assembled wheel end about an axis on the holding fixture.
Furthermore, the method includes machining a final cut on the rotor to a rotor width while rotating, after assembling and preloading the assembled module to define the wheel end to be installed on the vehicle. Then, the wheel end remains assembled and preloaded for installment on a vehicle. It has been determined that machining the final cut on the rotor after assembling and preloading the module provides a substantially reduced on-vehicle or lateral runout on the vehicle so long as the wheel end remains assembled and preloaded for installation. This provides a reduced lateral runout on the vehicle.
It has been determined that the wheel end provides substantial reduction to lateral runout, since after machining the wheel end remains assembled and preloaded up to installation of the wheel end on the vehicle. This prevents and avoids additional interfaces and, in turn, additional runout to the wheel end after machining the final cut on the rotor.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.